Airport mayhem lingers
Passengers complain of long queues and hours spent at the Hosea Kutako immigration counters.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration says it has introduced a short-term solution to the chaotic delays experienced at Hosea Kutako International Airport because of its new e-Border biometrics system.
Passengers have complained about standing in long lines for two or three hours to be scanned before they could get through customs at the check-in points.
There is an unconfirmed report of a passenger who missed his flight due to the holdup and allegedly was forced to buy a new air ticket because neither the home affairs ministry, nor the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) or the airline was prepared to take any responsibility.
Another reported that he had to wait in line for more than an hour before he got to the check-in point.
The NAC reportedly suggested that passengers should check in at least four hours before departure and immediately make their way to the immigration counters.
This could not be confirmed with the NAC because neither the communications manager nor acting CEO Lot Haifidi were available for comment.
Six days after the introduction of the biometrics system, Air Namibia said on its Facebook page that it expected some delays at the check-in points, but welcomed the introduction of the system as a development that “aligns Namibia's aviation industry with global standards”.
“We are well aware of the situation as the ministry and other stakeholders,” commented the spokesperson of the home affairs ministry, Sakeus Kadhikwa.
He said as a short-term mitigating measure the ministry on Tuesday installed more cubicles - five cubicles at the arrival and three at departure points – to speed up the scanning process.
“If you ask any of the passengers today how their experience was, they would tell you that it went much faster,” Kadhikwa offered.
The biometric system launched by home affairs minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana on 6 September makes use of facial recognition and fingerprint software.
The aim of the system is to enable immigration officials to detect wanted or blacklisted persons, illegal immigrants and suspected terrorists.
At the launch Iivula-Ithana said it was hoped that it would improve the collection of statistics, data storage and connectivity.
She said the system would improve operations of all law enforcement agencies as it would help to identify people “even if they change their names because the fingerprints will never change”.
She added that the project would bring about significant improvement in the management and facilitation of lawful migration and further contribute to the turnaround strategy the ministry had embarked upon a few years ago.
The system was developed by local company Syntex Technologies.
CATHERINE SASMAN
Passengers have complained about standing in long lines for two or three hours to be scanned before they could get through customs at the check-in points.
There is an unconfirmed report of a passenger who missed his flight due to the holdup and allegedly was forced to buy a new air ticket because neither the home affairs ministry, nor the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) or the airline was prepared to take any responsibility.
Another reported that he had to wait in line for more than an hour before he got to the check-in point.
The NAC reportedly suggested that passengers should check in at least four hours before departure and immediately make their way to the immigration counters.
This could not be confirmed with the NAC because neither the communications manager nor acting CEO Lot Haifidi were available for comment.
Six days after the introduction of the biometrics system, Air Namibia said on its Facebook page that it expected some delays at the check-in points, but welcomed the introduction of the system as a development that “aligns Namibia's aviation industry with global standards”.
“We are well aware of the situation as the ministry and other stakeholders,” commented the spokesperson of the home affairs ministry, Sakeus Kadhikwa.
He said as a short-term mitigating measure the ministry on Tuesday installed more cubicles - five cubicles at the arrival and three at departure points – to speed up the scanning process.
“If you ask any of the passengers today how their experience was, they would tell you that it went much faster,” Kadhikwa offered.
The biometric system launched by home affairs minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana on 6 September makes use of facial recognition and fingerprint software.
The aim of the system is to enable immigration officials to detect wanted or blacklisted persons, illegal immigrants and suspected terrorists.
At the launch Iivula-Ithana said it was hoped that it would improve the collection of statistics, data storage and connectivity.
She said the system would improve operations of all law enforcement agencies as it would help to identify people “even if they change their names because the fingerprints will never change”.
She added that the project would bring about significant improvement in the management and facilitation of lawful migration and further contribute to the turnaround strategy the ministry had embarked upon a few years ago.
The system was developed by local company Syntex Technologies.
CATHERINE SASMAN
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